This time I worked on a rotoscope training covering the Roto Node of Silhouette Roto and Paint software.
Silhouette is my favorite rotoscope software, and I present not only software skills but also the needed rotoscope techniques to create great mattes.

In depth review of the Project window. Discussion of strategies to break down subjects into shapes for rotoscope. Working with the Viewer modes and inputs to help on shape drawing, rotoscope evaluation and to avoid background color contamination.

Animating Shapes

Using the reshape and transform tools to manipulate shapes: moving, rotating, scaling, skewing, and corner pinning. Setting the anchor point and using special transform tool modes to manipulate groups of shapes and points. Planning the animation, optimal keyframe positioning in time and dealing with keyframing interpolation. Introduction to the “back and forth” technique.

Point Tracking

Review of the Object List: creating and manipulating layers. Techniques to create and use Silhouette’s excellent point tracker. Applying 1, 2 and 4 point tracking data to layers, refining problematic trackers, manipulating the transform matrix of layers and using the layer stabilization feature.

I have produced recently an Imagineer Mocha Pro training set for CmiVFX, covering all the software modules. It is the first Training available in two languages on the CmiVFX website, featuring English and Portuguese!

PS: I would like to thank the folks of Trilhas Urbanas Estudio that allowed me to use their facilities to record the training audios. You guys rock!

Since this is the beginning of a video series, we will get started with planar tracking concepts. You’ll get a guided tour of the Mocha Pro user interface, utilizing a simple project setup. You’ll use the Tracker Module to track surfaces, discover strategies to improve tracking, track surfaces that leave the screen, learn about the types of splines layers shapes and how to review the tracking quality with the Viewer controls.

Rotoscope

Learn how to use the planar tracker to achieve faster results when doing Rotoscope. There will be an overview of the tools to create and manipulate Layer shapes, including edge feathering and smoothing. Learn how to evaluate rotoshape quality with the Viewer controls and when the rotoscope is finished, explore the options to export the results to other softwares.

Advanced Tracking

While working on a more challenging project, you will learn how to isolate unwanted elements from the tracking area using garbage mattes and Blend modes. Then watch a more in-depth explanation of the Adjust track module to further refine your tracking results when the Track module is not enough to solve the tracking. We then break down several methods of exporting and importing into other 3rd party applications, such as: Final Cut Pro, Nuke, Motion, and After Effects. (Autodesk Flame customers can review our Flame training video for GMask information)

Insert Module

Discover how to use the Insert module parameters to successfully place images on tracked surfaces. Learn how to render final composited inserts from Mocha Pro or to export the insert layer for other softwares. Lens Module Explore the Lens module to obtain better results on the other Mocha Pro modules when shots have lens distortion. (In photography, distortion is particularly associated with zoom lenses, particularly large-range zooms, but may also be found in prime lenses, and depends on focal distance)

Remove Module

With the two example projects presented, understand how to use the unique Remove module of Mocha Pro to eliminate unwanted elements from shots. Using the same scene background or additional clean plates, we discuss the removal parameters in depth, making it easy to remove unwanted objects in shots requiring enhancement.

Stabilize Module

In this section we show you how to take shaky footage and make it presentable for further post production. Learn how to recover the missing parts of the plate using the Border settings and how to further smooth Camera movements using the Stabilize parameters.